Stop, Look, Listen
by Allicat
Summary: The first part of a (hopefully) epic fic
1. To Meet or Not to Meet

Ah, the first part of my fic Invader Zim fic! You know the legal drill: I don't own any of the Invader Zim characters, but I do own Clari42 (her real name will be revealed in the next part), so don't use her without my permission.  
Anyway, on with the fic. And, as always, read and review.  
  
  
"Iron Chef! Iron Chef!" GIR exclaimed as he ran at a high speed to the TV.  
Zim glared at GIR as he ran by, then continued down to his lab. He found a window open on his computer's screen.  
CLARI42: Hello? Hello?  
CLARI42: Are you still there?  
Zim decided to find out just who this 'clari42' was.  
littlerobotGIR: Hello.  
CLARI42: Oh, there you are. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you...  
littlerobotGIR: I just got a little sidetracked. So,   
Zim stopped for a moment, trying to think of something to say. He tried to remember what the kids at skool said to each other, although he didn't pay much attention. Finally, he remember one thing.  
littlerobotGIR: What's up?  
CLARI42: You aren't GIR, are you?  
littlerobotGIR: Why do you say that? Of course I'm GIR  
CLARI42: GIR would never be so coherent. You must be Zim.  
Zim's mind raced. How much did Clari42 know? How much could he risk to learn? Only one way to find out.  
littlerobotGIR: What do you mean by that?  
CLARI42: Well, for starters, GIR would say something strange like "I can shrink!" or something like that.   
CLARI42: And he talks about you and no one else, so I figured you two must be the only ones in your house  
CLARI42: Am I right?  
CLARI42: I'm right, aren't I?  
Zim stared at the screen for moment. What should he say? Tenatively, he typed in a response.  
littlerobotGIR: Maybe.  
  
And so it began. They continued to IM, and Zim would often ask seemingly random questions in his attempts to sketch Clari42's character. And she would often be random right back, leading them both in circles that took forever to find the center of. Zim didn't know why, but he felt compelled to keep up with Clari42, to match her comments with his own. It almost became a competition of who could be the most random and still make sense. And then there was the face war, where Zim used the standard emoticons and Clari42 used the other type (^_^ ; -_- ; etc.), and the question mark war, where they spent 15 minutes seeing who could post more and more question marks before giving in and changing the subject. It was fun, in a strange way, and both enjoyed the sessions thoroughly.  
But one day....   
CLARI42: I want to meet you   
littlerobotGIR: We talk here almost everyday  
littlerobotGIR: What more do you want  
CLARI42: I want to see you. In the flesh.  
littlerobotGIR: ?  
CLARI42: That's just an expression ^_~   
CLARI42: Let's get together sometime  
littlerobotGIR: Right. Sometime  
CLARI42: Is next week good for you?  
littlerobotGIR: no  
CLARI42: The week after?  
littlerobotGIR: no  
CLARI42: Name the time, then. I'm free anytime  
littlerobotGIR: How about never? Is never good for you?  
CLARI42: ^_^ I sense hostility  
This was how Clari42 often reacted when Zim tried to purposely avoid things. She would treat it as a joke, but then would back down. Usually.  
CLARI42: Trust me, I'm not some kind of homicidal maniac or anything. We can meet anywhere you want, any time you want.  
Zim didn't reply for a long time. From what he had learned of Clari42, she didn't seem too harmful. But still, she was a human, and was not to be trusted. (What Zim didn't realize was that by continuing to IM with her, he had already started to trust her.) After a while, this response showed up on his computer screen.  
CLARI42: And if you don't, I'll just have to hunt you down. *evil smile*  
littlerobotGIR: How about Friday at 5?  
CLARI42: That's a little too early. Try 6:30  
CLARI42: Hey, where should we meet?  
littlerobotGIR: Does MacMeaties sound good to you?  
CLARI42: Sounds great. See ya then!  
*CLARI42 has signed off*  
Zim stared at the screen for a while after she had left. GIR ran around his chair a few times, but he didn't even notice. ("What have I gotten myself into?")  



	2. When a Body isn't a Body

Author's Notes: Ah, this one took a while to come out...^_^b The next part will be out sooner, hopefully.  
Anyway, Clari42 is copyright to me, but all other IZ characters belong to Nick and Jhonen Vasquez (I think that's how you spell it).  
  
With his human disguise on, and GIR on a leash, Zim headed to McMeaties. He walked in and saw the usual assortment of pitiful humans. He scanned them for Clari42, but they all looked the same to him. He looked again at the picture she had sent him, then suddenly heard his name.  
"Zim! Over here!" There she was, Clari42. She smiled warmly, and waved him over. Zim walked over to the booth she was sitting in and looked at her for a moment. "You are Zim, aren't you?" she asked, a little uncertain this time.  
"Yes. Yes, I am." Zim replied,   
"I'm Clair, aka Clari42," she told him, extending her hand. Zim shook it, as he had observed various humans doing when greeting each other. He got into the booth and noticed that there was food on the table.  
"I got you Combo 1," Clair explained. "You don't have to eat it if you don't like it," she added, a bit uncertainly.  
"Oh, um...Thanks."  
"You're welcome."  
"So..."  
"Er...."  
"Um.."  
"I, ah..AUI!" Clair suddenly stiffened and made a few jerky kicks under the table. GIR, unnoticed, had crawled under the table and was now poking Clair's legs in an way that she did not like at all. (A/N: Naughty GIR! Being a robot is no excuse!)  
"You're squishy!" It chirped happily.   
After a few failed attempts, one of Clair's kicks connected, and GIR was flung to Zim's end of the booth.  
"GIR!"   
"Ouchie."   
"Maybe we should take your dog home." Clair said, after a moment. "This place really isn't the best place to be right now, anyway." She added, bending over slightly to rub her leg where GIR had poked it.  
"Yes, that would be a good idea." Zim replied, glaring at GIR, who, oblivious to everything, was busy eating the Combo 1.  
  
Once they had reached Zim's house, they were still unable to find anything to talk about, especially since Zim was more nervous than ever. He knew that he shouldn't let Clair into his house, but there was something about her...something that made him go along with anything she suggested...  
"So, ah..."  
"Yeah, I, um..."  
"GIR! Stop that!"  
GIR had decided to rummage around in Clair's purse, and found what looked like a remote control. "I'm gonna watch TV!"  
"No! Don't touch that!" Clair tried to grab the control away from GIR, but she was too late. In an instant, she seemed to flicker, and then melt. All that was left was a blue, girl-shaped mist, a form that Zim instantly recognized. An Arepoan.  
  
Author's Notes: Ah, I'm evil! Yes, I'm ending this part here. A cliffhanger to keep you reading ^_^  
As always, read and review! 


	3. Clair Tells All

Disclaimer: I only own my character, Clair. Any other characters I use in this part belong to Nick and Jhonen Vasquez. With that said, on with the fic!  
  
"...And I just found that so suffocating. Is it any wonder I would flee? To go off in search of a more interesting place? I had access to the technology. In order to escape the bad rap my people have gotten, they developed a device that could change you into whatever you wanted, provided you gave the device the proper information.  
So, I took advantage of this technology and headed off to a planet somewhere. Anywhere had to be better than Arepoa!  
At first, it seemed I was right. I embraced each new culture for a while, but soon the planet would begin to wear on me, so I would move on to another planet. Eventually, I wound back up on Arepoa, just in time to hear a call for volunteers. Arepoans were being sent to all sorts of different planets to study the different music that might be encountered. I volunteered and was added to the group going to Earth. And there my troubles began....."  
Clair had gotten the remote back from GIR and was now rambling on about her different experiences on different planets, unaware of how tense Zim was. The cause of Zim's anxiousness was the 'bad rap' Clair had mentioned. Despite being a rather laidback species, Arepoans are known throughout the galaxy as one of the 5 most dangerous. And now, with one sitting right next to him, chatting as if nothing were wrong, Zim honestly had no idea what to do. He knew he could not let her stay, but he feared the legendary 'Arepoan Wrath.' Thus, he did not dare do anything that might anger her.  
"But anyway, down to business, eh?" Clair said, breaking Zim's train of thought. She pushed a few buttons on the remote and changed back to her human form. "As you've probably noticed, I'm Arepoan. And I know that you're Irken. That's the whole reason I'm here. I need your help."  
Zim refused to hear her proposal. Since she was back in her human form, he felt bolder. "I will not help a ruthless Arepoan! Out, out of my house!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted uttering them. Although he didn't show it, he was inwardly preparing for great bodily harm, or some horrid torture type of thing. (A/N: Truth by told, he doesn't know what the legendary 'Arepoan Wrath' is. ^_^)  
Clair stared at him for a moment, looking hurt, not angry. She started to say something, but decided against it. Instead, she picked up her purse and turned to leave.  
"Yes, yes, go." Zim said again, as Clair walked to the door. Again, he regretted saying it. Hopefully, if he was lucky enough, he would still be alive by the end of the night. Just as Clair was about to exit, she turned to him. Zim's blood (or some equivalent thereof) turned to ice.  
Her eyes didn't meet his. "I thought you were different." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. With that, she left.  
"Good riddance," Zim said, after she had left. "Horrid Arepoan! Thinking she could infiltrate my fortress!" He scowled at the door, as if Clair were still there. Then he went to his lab, congratulating himself on a job well done. A foe expelled, and with no personal harm to himself.  
  
The next day, while Zim was at skool, GIR heard a knock on the door. Not remembering Zim's warnings to keep the door shut, GIR opened it. There, standing on the doorstep, was Clair. "Hi!" GIR exclaimed, then shut the door again.  
Clair stood on the doorstep, surprised at what had just happened. She decided to try again, this time ringing the doorbell. Once again, GIR opened the door, and once again, he shut it after saying "Hi." Clair sighed, then opened the door herself. She poked her head through the door and looked around. GIR was nowhere in sight. Noting this, Clair brought in her suitcases and put it down next to the sofa. Soon she   
would be settled in quite nicely, she thought, as she surveyed the room. Yes, quite nicely indeed.  
  
Author's notes: Clair is not one to give up easily, as the next chapter will reveal. However, if I don't get reviews (is anyone actually reading this story?), I may choose to discontinue the series. After all, why wrestle with chracter motivations for something no one is going to read. So, it is up to you, the reader, to convince me to continue. And only if you mean it. Please, I don't want a load of fake praise. I just want to know how you feel about this story. Questions, comments, etc. If you have 'em, talk to me. And if there's something you need to talk to me about in real time (hopefully to the benefit of the story, but if you're just bored, that's OK, too), IM me on AIM. My nick is CrimpJo2U.   
Anway, as always, review!  



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